After the start of the second half, the Western Conference team noticeably increased their intensity. Tim Duncan and O'Neal began to play seriously in the paint, taking turns attacking the rim. The Eastern Conference's interior defense was completely overwhelmed.
The gap in scores in the Western Conference is widening.
70-59, the Western Conference leads by 11 points.
Van Gundy called another timeout and substituted Rasheed onto the field.
"Go help Hill guard Tim Duncan," Van Gundy said briefly.
Rasheed nodded and walked onto the field.
In the next possession, Tim Duncan called for the ball in the low post. Rasheed immediately closed in, using his body to block Tim Duncan. Tim Duncan turned to prepare for a hook shot, but Rasheed stretched out his long arm and swatted the ball away.
Garnett picked up the ball and immediately made a long pass to Gary Payton in the frontcourt. Gary Payton received the ball, dribbled behind his back to get past the defender, and scored a layup.
Western Conference Offense. O'Neal calls for the ball inside, preparing for a strong attack. But this time, Garnett double-teams him from the wing, forming a double team with Rasheed. O'Neal forces a shot, but the ball bounces off the rim.
Pierce grabbed the rebound and passed it to Gary Payton. Gary Payton advanced to the frontcourt and made a bounce pass to Garnett, who was cutting in. Garnett caught the ball and took off, slamming it home over Tim Duncan for a powerful dunk.
Bang!
The basketball slammed into the hoop, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
After Garnett landed, he pounded his chest and yelled at Tim Duncan. Tim Duncan turned and left expressionlessly.
The ESPN commentator excitedly shouted, "OMG! Kevin Garnett dunked over Tim Duncan in the All-Star Game! This guy's serious tonight!"
The defensive intensity in the Western Conference has suddenly increased to playoff level.
This immediately made the Eastern Conference starters, who were used to the "All-Star pace," feel extremely uncomfortable.
Midway through the third quarter, Kobe intercepted a pass from the Eastern Conference guard at the top of the arc and completed a powerful tomahawk dunk.
78-70, the Western Conference quickly took an 8-point lead and controlled the momentum of the game.
Van Gundy was scratching his head anxiously on the sidelines. He is a coach who values defense and winning extremely much. Although he said before the game that "just have fun", his competitive spirit was completely ignited when he saw his team being devoured on the court.
He turned his head and looked at the " Boston Four" on the bench, who were draped in towels and had somber expressions.
" Gary, Kevin, Chris Paul, Rasheed." Van Gundy gritted his teeth and waved his hand, "You guys go. Keep the momentum going!"
When the four men stood together beside the scorer's table, a wave of ambiguous noise erupted in the Oakland Arena. There were boos, but more than anything, there was an adrenaline rush of anticipation.
Everyone knew that the real battle had begun.
As the game entered the fourth quarter, the atmosphere on the court became extremely tense, and even the music from the live DJ seemed somewhat superfluous.
Van Gundy kept Allen Iverson on the court, pairing him with four Celtics players. This was the most defensively aggressive and pressing lineup the Eastern Conference could field.
"Bang!"
A dull thud of muscles colliding echoed from the inside. Rasheed Wallace was holding Carl Malone firmly in the low post, their arms tangled in a fierce, covert struggle. Malone tried to turn, but Rasheed wouldn't budge, even subtly using his knee to brace against Malone's lower body.
"Don't waste your energy, old man," Rasheed trash-talked Malone in his ear. "No-fly zone here today."
On the other side, Garnett displayed terrifying defensive coverage. He not only covered Tim Duncan in the low post, but his extremely fast lateral movement also made him ready to rush into the paint to help defend at any time.
On the perimeter, Gary Payton and Iverson, two notoriously rebellious guards, miraculously developed chemistry. Gary Payton used his signature aggressive defense to relentlessly guard Kobe, while Iverson tirelessly cut and ran, utilizing the Celtics' tight screen system.
There are 48 seconds left in the game.
The score is 125-125, a draw.
Western Conference dominance.
Kobe had the ball on the perimeter and, facing Gary Payton's tight defense, he made two quick crossovers before pulling up for a jump shot. But Gary Payton's interference was spot on, and the ball bounced high off the back of the rim.
O'Neal roared and prepared to jump for a putback, but just as his feet were about to leave the ground, Garnett and Rasheed formed an insurmountable defensive barrier on either side, trapping him firmly in the middle. Rasheed forcefully stole the ball from O'Neal's hands!
" Eastern Conference possession! 32 seconds left!" the commentator roared.
Van Gundy didn't call a timeout; Gary Payton had already calmly controlled the ball past midfield.
Time ticked by, second by second.
Gary Payton maintained the tempo at the top of the key, while Garnett provided screens.
After the switch, Gary Payton faced Tim Duncan, Garnett went up against Kobe.
But just when everyone thought Gary Payton was going to either overpower Garnett or pass to him in a mismatch, Gary Payton's eyes darted to the corner. There, Chris Paul Pierce had been silently lurking for an entire round, seemingly invisible, yet ready to deliver the fatal blow at any moment.
Gary Payton flicked his wrist, and the basketball, with its powerful penetrating force, precisely grazed the defender's fingertips before being passed directly to Pierce.
A gasp rippled through the Western Conference bench as Kobe desperately lunged towards the corner.
But Pierce didn't hesitate for a moment. He pulled up, hung in the air, and flicked the basketball with an extremely soft wrist.
"Whoosh!"
A three-pointer swished through the net! 128-125! Only 4.2 seconds left for the Western Conference.
With the Western Conference Conference's hasty shot missing in the final moments, the final buzzer sounded.
Garnett pounded his chest and roared to the sky. Gary Payton walked over and gave him a big high five, while Rasheed ruffled Pierce's hair.
Standing at a distance, Iverson watched the four Boston huddled together, his expression complex. In the end, he shook his head and walked back to the locker room.
The awards ceremony was held in the center of the venue.
Without any suspense, Kevin Garnett was named the 2000 All-Star Game MVP with the most efficient offensive and defensive performance of the game (28 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks).
David Stern stepped forward and handed the trophy to Garnett. He wore an official smile, but his eyes held a cold glint.
Garnett accepted the crystal-clear MVP trophy with one hand. All the cameras were pointed at him, and the reporters were ready to capture this glorious moment.
The host handed him the microphone. " Kevin, congratulations. This is your first All-Star MVP trophy. On this star-studded night, you've proven yourself. Is there anything you'd like to say to fans around the world?"
Garnett didn't smile. He glanced at the trophy in his hand, then looked up, his sharp gaze sweeping across the Western Conference bench not far away, where O'Neal, Tim Duncan, and Kobe sat.
"This trophy is beautiful. I thank every teammate who passed me the ball, and I also thank the league."
Garnett's deep, hoarse voice echoed in the empty arena.
"But as our president, Mr. Lin Qi, said, if it were just for this kind of vanity, we wouldn't need to work this hard. It's just a show, and we, the Boston Celtics..."
He paused, his eyes turning unusually cold and sharp.
"We don't play for show, we only play to win. Tonight's victory was just a bonus; what we really want is that golden guy in June. See you in June."
After saying that, he shoved the microphone back into the host's hand and turned to walk toward the players' tunnel. Gary Payton, Rasheed, and Pierce followed behind him, their backs exuding an undisguised air of coldness and arrogance, completely out of place in this noisy world of fame and fortune.
The entire Oakland Arena was completely silent.
In the VIP box, Lin Qi raised his glass, gave a perfunctory toast in the direction Garnett had left, and drank it all in one gulp.
Boston, Late Night.
February 15th, early morning.
The chartered plane bound for Boston landed at Logan International Airport. As the four All-Star players, carrying their luggage, returned to the Celtics ' Auerbach Training Center in a private car, a few snowflakes were still falling from the Boston night sky.
The locker room door was pushed open.
"Finally back! The California sun was practically melting my bones," Gary Payton complained, tossing his travel bag onto the bench.
Suddenly, Garnett stopped and pricked up his ears.
Deep inside the stadium, in the training field, came the rhythmic sounds of basketballs hitting the floor and the sharp squeaking of sneakers rubbing against the floor.
The four of them exchanged a glance and then walked towards the training field together.
Pushing open the double doors, blinding light poured out.
On the empty stadium, Dikembe Mutombo stood shirtless, sweat pouring down his full, muscular body.
Meanwhile, on the other half of the court, Eddie Jones was practicing catch-and-shoot three-pointers over and over again in the corner, with only a few balls left in the shooting machine next to him.
Hearing the noise at the door, the two stopped what they were doing.
Mutombo wiped his face with a towel, looked at the four All-Star teammates standing at the door, and grinned with a simple smile.
"Was the party in California fun, All-Stars?"
Garnett unzipped his jacket, revealing his training clothes underneath.
"Utterly boring." Garnett strode onto the court. "Have your defensive footwork become sluggish these past few days without us watching you?"
Gary Payton, taking off his expensive suit, followed after him, grumbling, "Come on, let me see if you've improved!"
Pierce and Rasheed also walked towards the locker with smiles and changed into their training shoes.
The All-Star glitz and glamour have faded.
Now, they all know where they are going.
The NBA Finals.
Overall champion.